The little girl was afraid, and her mother, Brooke Thomas, felt a knot grow in her own stomach. But Thomas watched as Emilee finally sat next to the water and -- then -- even dangled her legs over the side.

"It was very hard for me to watch because I sensed her anxiety, her hesitation," Thomas said. "And I was in a very vulnerable state, too. I had to release control and let the instructor take over."

Many children have a fear of water before they learn to swim. In the summer, when life often revolves around a pool, overcoming that fear can be the difference between safely joining in the neighborhood fun or watching anxiously from a distance. Especially in the Valley, where swimming pools are so common.

"We probably see at least one child every week who is afraid of water, and they don't even want to get into the pool," said Bob Hubbard, owner of Hubbard Family Swim School, which has a program designed for the fearful. "But with pools so integral to summers here, kids need to know how to control their bodies in water and be safe."

Statistics bear out a pool's potential for tragedy. In 2008, 17 children drowned in Maricopa County. The number rose to 20 in 2009, and 21 in 2010. Last year, it was 16.

And through July 24, nine children have drowned in the Valley this year, according to the Drowning Prevention Coalition of Arizona.

Most were in backyard pools, with the majority of victims age 3 or younger.

* * *

Thomas knew her daughter needed to overcome her fear. But she also knew that Emilee's anxieties were more profound than those of most kids afraid of water.

Last July, at the end of a swim-filled day, Thomas toweled off her three children -- Devan, 7; Maverick, 4; and Emilee, 2 -- next to a backyard pool belonging to their uncle's neighbors.

Suddenly, Maverick was not around. Thomas looked in the pool to make sure he had not fallen in, but there was no sign of him. She thought he must have gone inside his uncle's house, and went to look there.

Thomas had no idea that reflections, rippling water and the pool's design could work together to obscure her view of the bottom. By the time Maverick was spotted, it was too late to save him.

All of it unfolded in front of Devan and Emilee. While Devan was old enough to understand better what had happened, Emilee's young mind absorbed the traumatic event in a simple, clear way: Pools hurt people. A day of play and family fun had somehow turned into a scary swirl of crying adults and emergency vehicles.

For Emilee, all of it meant one thing. Maverick was never coming home.

Thomas knew Emilee's fear would be hard to overcome. After all, there were times she felt the same way. But she needed her daughter to learn to swim and to feel safe in the water.

She was aware the Hubbard Family Swim School had worked with kids facing situations similar to that of Emilee. So this spring, she somehow found the strength to put the little girl in a swimsuit and return to a swimming pool for the first time since Maverick died. And even though painful memories were circling, when Emilee dangled her feet in the water, Thomas knew she had done the right thing.

Mom and daughter returned the next day, and the next. By June, Emilee had gotten comfortable in the water. She can now float on her back, an accomplishment that had Thomas jumping for joy on the pool deck.

"The point is for her to not feel vulnerable in the water, to know how to be safe," Thomas said. "At some point, she will learn swimming techniques, but knowing how to handle herself in water is the most important thing."

Some children's fear of water seems to come out of the blue, with no explanation or traumatic event. When Grant Shannon was 2, he reacted very badly to swim lessons, said his mother, Alicia Bravo-Shannon. Her son would shiver and become nauseous around the pool. She stopped the lessons after two weeks.

Three years later, Bravo-Shannon tried again. Like Thomas, she was worried about Grant's safety living in a place where pools are nearly omnipresent, especially during the summer.

On the first day of lessons, Bravo-Shannon packed her son's swim gear in the back of the van so he had no idea what was in store. But as soon as they pulled in, Grant threw up, she said. (He also would vomit if he caught a whiff of chlorine.) Still, Bravo-Shannon and her husband, Matthew Shannon, were determined.

Dad took over the chauffeuring duties, and Grant attended lessons four days a week for months. That diligence, combined with the instructor's patience, eventually helped Grant get over his fear. But the family eventually would sell the van because it was impossible to get rid of the smell.

Now 7, Grant does not remember being afraid of water, Bravo-Shannon said. And the scent of chlorine is a regular part of his life.

"A few years ago, when you asked him his favorite sport, he would say soccer," she said. "Now, it's swimming."

Watching someone like Grant or Emilee learn to swim is all Hubbard needs to know that he's on the right track.

"In summer, most everyone finds themselves around a pool at some point," Hubbard said. "Could be a backyard party or friends going to the water park. Even those fearful of water can be pushed in and not know what to do.

"It's extremely important to know how to handle yourself in water, to feel comfortable and know what to do," Hubbard said. "It can save your life."

There are plenty of swimming schools in the Valley, and many employ instructors who have the patience to work with children who fear even dipping a toe into a pool, said Sue Mackie, executive director of the trade group US Swim School Association. Often, when instructors from schools such as SwimKids USA or AquaSafe (each has Valley locations) sense deep fear in a child, they will suggest to the parents that individual work with that child may help more, as it takes away any pressure to quickly progress.

More worrisome, Mackie said, are parents who lack the determination to follow up with their water-fearing children.

"It's hard to take kids to lessons when they are upset and crying," she said. "They (parents) can't endure the discomfort of lessons and quit too soon. But if you can persevere and get over that hump, it will ultimately be a positive thing."

* * *

Emilee Thomas' brother Devan, who is now 8, continues to do well in the water. He has progressed from dog-paddling to learning several strokes, Brooke Thomas said, and hopes to be on a swim team someday.

But despite Devan's confidence in the water, Thomas stresses that all the confidence in the world does not take the place of direct adult supervision. She lost Maverick, even with adults right there.

"You always make sure someone is keeping an eye on the pool, either a parent or someone you designate," Thomas said.

"Because you never know what's going to happen."

Tips for overcoming fear of water

Here are ways that instructors try to help children overcome a fear of water, according to Bob Hubbard of Hubbard Family Swim School.

Establish trust. Instructors patiently explain what is to happen and why, so there are no surprises.

Be patient. It could take days, weeks or months. Hurrying children who are not ready can delay progress.

Start slowly. It may take several visits before a fearful child is ready to step into a pool, let alone be immersed in water.

Take small steps. The first might be having a child sit by the pool, and then dangle her feet, and then sprinkle water over her head. It may progress to standing on the top step in the pool, then sitting on the step and so forth.

Remember the goal: to teach the child to know what to do in water. Should they fall or be pushed in, they will remain calm and put into practice techniques they've learned, such as floating on their backs.

Being sure to teach children to swim only when they are ready. Instructors know when it's time for once-fearful children to start learning strokes and breathing techniques.

Always watch children around water. Whether kids are new to the pool or experienced swimmers, constant supervision is a must.

Even sitting at the edge of a pool can be a trying experience for some kids. From left, Reagan Talbot, Madison Malecki and Kalin Long, all 3, attend a class at the Hubbard Swim School that aims to help kids with their fear of water Wednesday, July 25, 2012, in Peoria. The class is taught by Deb Paparelli.